Model Resolution

This branch notes with alarm the rapid privatization of the NHS following the introduction of the health and social care act.
The government are instructing the new clinical commissioning group (CCG’s) that under section 75 of the act they will be forced to open all health provision to the private sector. They are telling CCG’s that they are obliged to provide an increasing number of services through ‘any qualified provider’.
Key sections of the health service including hospitals and out of hours emergency services are being run by the private sector that are drastically cutting services. There are currently around 101 private providers of health care in the UK and already deaths are being associated with substandard services they provide.
Anita Mansi died in a hospital run by the building company Carrion after routine surgery when she had no access to intensive care.
A 7 week old baby died in November after repeated unsuccessful calls to Harmoni the private company running out of hours GP and a four hour wait to see a doctor at Whittington hospital.
The current cooperation of the CCG’s with government instructions to offer services to Anny Qualified Provider is leading to the dangerous fragmentation of health provision and cuts to the NHS.
The branch notes the government intention to privatise the health service irreversibly during its term of office so that any future government will be tied into to legal contracts with private health care companies.
This branch agrees the following
To reaffirm its active and practical support for public campaigns against NHS privatization and cuts such as Keep our NHS public, 38 degrees
For UNISON to write to the clinical commissioning groups demanding that they commission services from the NHS and withdraw cooperation with offering services to‘any qualified provider’, providing them with all available knowledge they need to do this.
For UNISON to call of the Trade Union Council to immediately stand by its commitment of September 2012 and call a general strike against privatization cuts and other austerity measures.